Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yorichmond’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yorichmond’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response; early flowering habit, seven-week response time; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with dark red-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yorichmond’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a potted Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yorichmond’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with freely branching habit, uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in February, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number YB-A3803, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number YB-5465, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected in December, 2003, by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, freely branching habit, vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yorichmond have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yorichmond’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yorichmond’ as a new and distinct potted Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response.     -   5. Typically grown as a center-budded or as natural spray type.     -   6. Early flowering habit, seven-week response time.     -   7. Freely flowering habit.     -   8. Daisy-type inflorescences with dark red-colored ray florets.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about four weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one week earlier         than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about two weeks         earlier than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have cherry red-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Rage, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,770. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Rage in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week         earlier than plants of the cultivar Rage.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the         cultivar Rage differed in ray floret color as plants of the         cultivar Rage had bright red-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yorichmond’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yorichmond’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 21° C. to 27° C., night temperatures ranged from about 17° C. to 19° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about two weeks later. At that time, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were center-budded and were about eleven weeks old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Observations and measurements were taken from a single plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yorichmond. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-A3803,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-5465,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum             typically grown as a center-budded or as a natural spray             type. Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a             uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching             habit, about four lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plant habit. Strong             and vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 27 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 20 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 2.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 148A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes             mostly parallel.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; veins             prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, 147B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 147C. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with ligulate to             narrowly obovate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence not fragrant.             Typically grown as a center-budded or as a natural spray             type.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering habit; plants             exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about seven weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about four weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 15             inflorescences develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About             1.6 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 184A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm to 2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 2 cm.             Receptacle height: About 6 mm. Receptacle diameter: About             2.2 cm. Receptacle color: 147A to 147B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate to narrowly obovate.             Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical             or perpendicular to peduncle; eventually reflexed. Aspect:             Initially incurved, then mostly flat. Length: About 4.3 cm.             Width: About 1 cm. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate; short             corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Number of ray florets             per inflorescence: About 40 arranged in about two to three             whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 185A.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 182B. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 187A to 187B. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 183C.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             9 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 180. Color, immature: Apex: Close to             13B. Mid-section: Close to 157A. Base: Close to 157C. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 13B. Mid-section: Close to 145C.             Base: Close to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 24             arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 4 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 148A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.2 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 5.4 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             2 mm. Angle: About 45° to 50° from vertical. Strength:             Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 148A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             157A. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About             3 mm. Anther color: Close to 17A. Pollen amount: Moderate.             Pollen color: Close to 17A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray             and disc florets. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 5A. Style length: About             6 mm. Style color: Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to             157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 5° C. and     high temperatures of about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yorichmond’ as illustrated and described. 